How to Recruit the Best Ship Lieutenants in Assassin’s Creed Odyssey

Naval combat is key in Assassin’s Creed Odyssey.

If you’ve read our guide to being successful in naval combat then you’ll already be taking out enemy ships aplenty. But lieutenants can give you that extra edge that is vital to success in Assassin’s Creed Odyssey’s toughest naval battles. And recruiting the best ones even more so.

Building your crew

Nearly any enemy can be recruited to your merry crew in Assassin’s Creed Odyssey. Obviously, the higher their level the more benefits they’ll provide your ship. The key to recruiting an enemy is to not kill them, which is easier said than done in the world of Assassin’s Creed Odyssey.

Stealth is your friend when recruiting a new lieutenant. Sneak up on the enemy, and instead of silently killing them, press in the left analogue stick to knock them out. Once they’re on the ground, approach them and press the left analogue stick once more to recruit them.

If you do end up in combat with an enemy you want to recruit, don’t worry, you can still subdue them. Depleting the last bit of their health bar with an unarmed melee attack such as the Spartan Kick will simply leave them on the ground incapacitated rather than dead, allowing you to recruit them with a press of the left analogue stick.

Once you’ve recruited an enemy, open the ship’s upgrade page and select your new lieutenant from the top right section of the upgradable items. This is where you can see their abilities and compare which are better for your gameplay style.

Simply the best

To find the best lieutenants to recruit, take control of your eagle, go into stationary mode, and hover your cursor over an enemy for a second or so. You’ll see that their information pops up in a window, showing you their rarity and which skills they have. Keep an eye out for enemies with gold backgrounds to their portraits – they are the best.

Interestingly, you can even recruit enemies who you’re meant to kill to complete bounties, and still get your reward as well as a high level recruit. It’s definitely something worth trying!